Le Relais de Franc Mayne
Style Bed-and-breakfast wine château
Setting Rolling vineyards of St-Emilion
Part boutique-hotel, part working winery, Le Relais de Franc Mayne is the oenophile’s B&B of choice. Its nine uniquely styled rooms feature hand-picked antiques and furnishings, its cavernous cellars are packed with barrels of St-Emilion from the grapes grown in the château’s seven-acre vineyard, and the welcoming family-run feel ensures it’s a boutique hotel to return to – even if it’s only for another tasting.
Need to know
- Rooms Nine.
- Rates Double rooms from $184.73 (€140), excluding tax at 7 per cent. Please note the hotel charges an additional local city tax of €0.44 per person per night on checkout.
- More details Rates exclude breakfast (€15).
- Facilities Free WiFi throughout; billiard room. In rooms: flatscreen TV, CD/DVD player, iPod dock, minibar, La Compagnie de Provence toiletries.
- Poolside The hotel’s natural swimming pool sits serenely under the cedar trees, overlooking rolling vineyards.
- Check-out Midday. Check-in, 3pm.
- Children Cots can be provided for €25 a night, extra beds for €50. Babysitting can be organised with sufficient notice. More...
- Eco-friendly The chemical-free pool is self-cleaning thanks to specially selected aquatic plants and is heated by warmth-retaining stones.
- Hotel closed Le Relais does not accept bookings over the Christmas period.
- Also Wine-tasting sessions are free for hotel guests (€7 for visitors). Non-smoking throughout.
Food and drink at Le Relais de Franc Mayne
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Hotel restaurant
There’s no restaurant, but the hotel can prepare a cold platter for lunch or dinner on request. The dining room – where breakfast is served – is an elegant, chandeliered space with rustic terracotta stone floors. -
Dress code
Dark colours to hide any wine spillages. -
Top table
Take a glass (or a bottle) out on to the terrace and soak in the sun with the vineyard vista spread out before you. -
Hotel bar
It’s not all about wine – Le Relais de Franc Mayne’s cosy, burgundy-shaded salon has an honesty bar stocked with whiskies, pastis, martinis. Oh, and, yes, wine.
Le Relais de Franc Mayne Château Franc Mayne 14, La Gomerie 33330 Saint Émilion Gironde, France, Bordeaux, 33330
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Smith extra at Le Relais de Franc Mayne
A bottle of Le Libertin de Lussac 2008 red wine in the room on arrival (subject to availability)
In the know
Our favourite rooms
All of Le Relais de Franc Mayne’s rooms have been individually decorated, with varying degrees of decadence. Our favourite, Campagne Française, is one of the hotel’s biggest and, being south-facing, it boasts a grab-your-camera view of the pool, garden, and vineyards beyond. There’s a gorgeous white stone fireplace supporting an antique gold-framed mirror, and the whole room is softly lit by a golden chandelier. You’ll find brighter, bolder decor in Pop Art, all lime greens and dark woods, and Asian Mood, which features a blue and red colour scheme and an oriental birdcage. Indian Fusion features a four-poster bed and ornately carved wooden wall panels, and Out of Africa and African Lodge adopt a safari theme.
Packing tips
An extra suitcase to cram with the domaine’s wine – and something soft to wrap the bottles.
Also
During your stay at Le Relais de Franc Mayne, you’ll given a tour of the château’s wine-making equipment, including the impressive new vat in the reception area and the cavernous cellars where the seemingly endless row of barrels are stored.
From the Guestbook…
I'm sure there are many fantastic wine shops in St Emillion but the one we stumbled accross was exceptional! They had a very large range (quite a lot of old wines) with varied pric...
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